Mushroom Safari

Look! Right there—peeking out from some dead leaves—it’s a fungus called a mushroom! Come on, let’s creep up slowly and quietly, so it doesn’t get away!

OK, so you don’t really have to sneak up on mushrooms to get a peek at them. But they still can get away: Many kinds of mushrooms  disappear after only a few days. So get out there and start hunting before you miss them! Look!

When to Look

Depending on what part of the country you live in, you might see mushrooms in any season. But fall is the best time for finding the most. Try hunting a few days after a good rain.

What to Take

Some mushrooms are tiny, so you might want to take a magnifying glass to really study them. To be safe, don’t pick or even touch any mushrooms you find, since some kinds are poisonous.

You could carry a notebook and pencil to make sketches of mushrooms. Or take a camera to snap some great ’shroom shots. For the most interesting pictures, try to hold the camera right at the mushroom’s level. That may mean lying on your stomach to take a picture, so dress to get dirty!

Where to Look

You can find mushrooms in many places, such as woods, meadows, pastures, or maybe even your own backyard.

Check around the bases of trees, on tree trunks, under dead leaves, beneath shrubs, on old rotting logs and stumps, and in lawns and gardens.

Once you find one mushroom, chances are you’ll find more. Then you can “capture” them in drawings or photos.

Happy hunting!